Fairy Tenderheart.
Little Fairy Tenderheart was weeping. She sat on a ledge that overlookedthe world, and her tears fell fast. In twos and threes her sisters flewfrom Fairyland to put their arms about her, but none could comfort her."Come, dance and sing with us and forget your grief," they said. Sheshook her head. "The terrible fighting!" she said. "See where far belowmen rage, killing each other. Rivers run red with blood, and the sorrowof weeping women rises through the air to where I sit. How can I danceand sing?"
"It is the world at war," said an older fairy sadly. "I too have wept inearlier days when men have fought. But our tears are wasted, littlesister. Come away."
Fairy Tenderheart looked eagerly at her. "You who have watched the worldso many years," she said, "tell me why such dreadful deeds are done downthere."
The older fairy bent her eyes on the blackened plains of earth. "Icannot tell you that," she slowly said. "We watch and pity, but wecannot know what works in the hearts of men that they should gather intheir millions to destroy their brothers and themselves. No othercreature turns on its own kind and kills so terribly as man."
In twos and threes her sisters flew from Fairyland to puttheir arms about her, but none could comfort her.]
"What can we do? It must be stopped. What can we do?"
"We can do nothing, little sister. See where the women of the worldstretch out their hands, imploring men to live in peace. They beg thelives of fathers, husbands, sons; they point to ruined homes anddesolated lands. 'War wrecks our lives!' they cry. Yet even for thosethey love men will not give up battle. What, then, can fairies do? Tearsare useless. Come away."
"I must stay here. I must think of something I can do," said FairyTenderheart; and she would not go.
Her tears had stopped. She searched with anxious eyes across the worldto find some means of helping men to better things, but no way could shefind. And still the fighters shot and stabbed, and the dying and thedead lay piled upon the fields.
Another fairy flew to her. "Come away, little sister!" she said. "Icannot bear to see you sorrowing. Come, or you will forget the merryways of Fairyland and grow like the Oldest Fairy of All, who spends herlife brooding over this dreary earth."
Fairy Tenderheart sprang up. "Where is she? Tell me where to find her.Why did I not know of her before? I will go to her that we may becompanions in our sorrow. Perhaps together we may find a way to help."
"Ah, do not go. Listen! She is so old that she has watched the worldsince the beginning of wars, yet, as you see, she has found no way ofstopping them. How then can you?"
"I must go."
"She left our joyful Fairyland for a Magic Garden, and whoever entersthat Garden can never come back to us. There she dwells for ever alone,at work or in thought, or preparing for her mysterious journeys to theearth. Do not go, or you too will be cut off from our life of dance andsong, never to return."
"I will go. Tell me the way."
The fairy flew off. "I will not tell you," she said. "You shall not go."
"I will go," said Fairy Tenderheart again. With steadfast steps shesearched through Fairyland until she found a narrow track that ledbetween the winding mountains and far out across wide, shimmeringplains. This track she followed till she came upon the Magic Garden.
The Oldest Fairy of All sat thinking among her flowers, and her eyeswere filled with peace. She looked at Fairy Tenderheart standing at thegate. "Who enters here can never return to Fairyland," she said, and hervoice was sweeter than the songs of birds.
Fairy Tenderheart pushed open the gate and stepped within the Garden."Who enters here finds joy," said the Oldest Fairy of All, and a crownof happiness sat on her hair.
"You come to work?" she asked.
"I come to learn what I may do to help the suffering earth," said FairyTenderheart. "Its cries of agony have beaten on my heart until there wasno rest for me in Fairyland. Is there no way to make war cease? I cometo you for wisdom."
The Oldest Fairy of All rose up and smiled, and her face was brighterthan the moon and stars. "Look closely at my flowers," she said, "andtell me which you think most beautiful."
The flowers bloomed on every side, in every lovely hue--crimson and goldand orange, blue and purple and pink and softest lavender. All werescented, and all were beautiful; but there was one plant that pleasedthe little fairy more than any other. It grew no taller than the rest,made no great show of colour, yet through its stems and leaves thereshone a radiance as if a light hid in them. Its flowers were clear ascrystal--one could see quite through them--but the sunlight falling onthem was broken into glowing colours, so that every blossom was a littlebunch of flashing rainbows. And where the flowers had closed and grownto fruit they hung golden as the sun and fragrant with a scent thatstole upon the wind and made the heart heat high with happiness.
"This is the most beautiful," said Fairy Tenderheart.
"You have chosen well," said the Oldest Fairy of All. "You are fitted tohelp me in my work. That is the Plant of Knowledge; its crystalblossoms are called the Flowers of Understanding, and its fruit is Love.By it alone can war be made to cease."
She pointed far below. "I have planted it upon the earth in many spots,"she said. "Here and there it has flourished and spread, and its fruithas sweetened all the air. But, alas!" her eyes grew sad, "too often ithas been trampled under foot and killed, and war has broken out afresh.If only men would care for it and let it grow the world would soon bewrapped in peace."
"Can we not plant more and more until it spreads across the world inspite of all neglect?" asked Fairy Tenderheart.
The Oldest Fairy shook her head. "I have done my best," she said; "butwhile men tramp it down it cannot spread across the world. Even when ithas grown well it cannot do the good it ought to do: a nation which haseaten of its Fruit of Love and has learned to scorn the littleness ofwar is yet forced by that same Love to fight, that it may rescue a weakand helpless country from the greedy clutches of those who have refusedto let my dear plant bloom. In the end it shall spread, no doubt, andmy work shall be complete; but the time is long, the time is long."
She mused, and Fairy Tenderheart gazed thoughtfully upon the earth.Presently she raised her eyes, and they were bright with hope.
"In the children's gardens ... they planted the seeds."]
"See where a group of children gathers round your precious plant!" shesaid. "How eagerly they stretch their hands towards it, and how theylook into its flashing flowers. They will never tread it in the mud, forthey have seen its splendour. Let me take seeds to all the children'sgardens in the world. The Children! They will welcome your Plant ofKnowledge with its Flowers of Understanding, and when they have tastedits Fruit of Love they will grow up scorning war, and the world willlive in peace."
The Oldest Fairy laughed with joy. "Oh, little sister, you have come tohelp indeed!" she said. "You are right. The Children! It is to them wemust take our plant. Come, let us gather seeds and start at once."
They gathered the golden seeds and carried them swiftly down. In thechildren's gardens across the world they planted them, and everywherethe children ran to gaze at the wonder of the springing plants, and towatch the flowers unclose. And when through later days they ate and ateagain of the fragrant golden fruit, Love filled their veins and theybecame a new race, scorning the littleness of war. And the world waswrapped in peace.
* * * * *
The Willie Winkie Zoo Books
Six entrancing Booklets for children.
Written by Mrs. A. R. Osborn Author of "Almost Human."
Pictured by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite
* * * * *
Exquisitely dainty and altogether charming.
* * * * *
27,000 copies already sold Price 2/- each
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Teddy Bear's Birthday Party. The Naughty Baby Monkey. The Guinea Pig that
wanted a Tail. Peter's Peach. Fuzzy, Wuzzy, and Buzzy. The Quarrel of the Baby Lions.
* * * * *
PRINTED BY WHITCOMBE & TOMBS LIMITED.
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